17 things you should know about Gen. John J. Pershing

On Feb. 21, 1917, Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing became commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) with headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, and went on to become the greatest hero of World War I. Here are 17 things you should know about the famous general with San Antonio ties. Source: Wikipedia.

By Compiled by Merrisa Brown, mySA.com

on February 21, 2014 3:17 PM

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On Feb. 21, 1917, Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing became commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) with headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, and went on to become the greatest hero of World War I. Here are 17 things you should know about the famous general with San Antonio ties.

PHOTO: Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing in London for the peace celebrations at the end of World War I. less

On Feb. 21, 1917, Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing became commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) with headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, and went on to become the greatest hero of World War I. Here are 17 ... more

3. Pershing's wife and three young daughters were killed in a... Photo-5922205.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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4. Pershing was head of a mission to capture Mexican Revolutionary General Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916, after Villa's attack on the town of Columbus, New Mexico. It lasted into 1917, and was unsuccessful.

PHOTO: Mexican Gen. Alvaro Obregon (from left), Mexican revolutionary Francisco (Pancho) Villa and American Gen. John Pershing pose for a photo with other military officers, circa 1915. less

4. Pershing was head of a mission to capture Mexican Revolutionary General Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916, after Villa's attack on the town of Columbus, New Mexico. It lasted into 1917, and was ... more

Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images

4. Pershing was head of a mission to capture Mexican Revolutionary... Photo-5922209.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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5. In 1917, while in command at Fort Sam Houston, Pershing rode in a car in the Battle of Flowers Parade for Fiesta.

PHOTO: Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing (right) rides with Ayers B.G. Hutchinson and Texas Gov. James E. Ferguson in the 1917 Battle of Flowers Parade. The driver is Avriel Vanderpoorten. less

5. In 1917, while in command at Fort Sam Houston, Pershing rode in a car in the Battle of Flowers Parade for Fiesta.

8. In 1918, Pershing oversaw the development of a new type of... Photo-5922210.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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9. Also in 1918, Pershing was infected by the Spanish Flu pandemic, which is estimated to have sickened 10 to 20 percent of the world's population at the time, and to have killed 3 to 6 percent. The pandemic was caused by H1N1, also known as swine flu.

PHOTO: Toward the end of World War I, Col. George C. Marshall Jr., Gen. John Pershing and others ride on an observation car in Paris in 1918. less

9. Also in 1918, Pershing was infected by the Spanish Flu pandemic, which is estimated to have sickened 10 to 20 percent of the world's population at the time, and to have killed 3 to 6 percent. The pandemic ... more

Photo: PhotoQuest, Getty Images

9. Also in 1918, Pershing was infected by the Spanish Flu pandemic,... Photo-5922212.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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10. Pershing's U.S. officer service number is O-1; he was the first to get a number.

PHOTO: Gen. John Pershing is seen circa 1917.

10. Pershing's U.S. officer service number is O-1; he was the first to get a number.

PHOTO: Gen. John Pershing is seen circa 1917.

Photo: Topical Press Agency, Getty Images

10. Pershing's U.S. officer service number is O-1; he was the... Photo-5922220.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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11. Pershing was the first and only person to be promoted to General of the Armies, the highest possible rank, in his lifetime. The only other person to hold the rank is George Washington, who was awarded the title in 1976 as part of the Bicentennial.

PHOTO: Gen. John Pershing receives the American Legion medal in November 1921. Also present are (from left) Col. John Palmer, Maj. John Mackeney and Maj. Buchanan. less

11. Pershing was the first and only person to be promoted to General of the Armies, the highest possible rank, in his lifetime. The only other person to hold the rank is George Washington, who was awarded the ... more

Photo: Topical Press Agency, Getty Images

11. Pershing was the first and only person to be promoted to... Photo-5922208.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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12. President Warren G. Harding appointed Pershing Chief of Staff of the Army in 1921, and while serving in this position, he came up with an idea for a highway system called the Pershing Map. It closely resembles the Interstate Highway System built in the 1950s, which we still use today.

PHOTO: Babe Ruth, member of the 104th Field Artillery of the New York National Guard, salutes Gen. John J. Pershing in Washington, D.C., in June 1924. less

12. President Warren G. Harding appointed Pershing Chief of Staff of the Army in 1921, and while serving in this position, he came up with an idea for a highway system called the Pershing Map. It closely ... more

14. When Pershing died in 1948, he lie in state at the in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, before a funeral procession and burial at Arlington National Cemetery, near the troops he commanded during World War I.

14. When Pershing died in 1948, he lie in state at the in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, before a funeral procession and burial at Arlington National Cemetery, near the troops he commanded during World War I.

Photo: Francis Miller, Getty Images

14. When Pershing died in 1948, he lie in state at the in the... Photo-5922217.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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15. Pershing House on Fort Sam Houston is named for him, along with more than a dozen other buildings across the United States.

15. Pershing House on Fort Sam Houston is named for him, along with more than a dozen other buildings across the United States.

Photo: David J. Kaminsky, HABS/Wikimedia Commons

15. Pershing House on Fort Sam Houston is named for him, along with... Photo-5922204.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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16. Pershing Avenue, near the San Antonio Country Club, is named after him, and close to Funston Place, which is named after Gen. Frederick N. Funston, whom Pershing replaced as commander of the Southern Department with headquarters at Fort Sam Houston. Click here to view the map on Google. less

16. Pershing Avenue, near the San Antonio Country Club, is named after him, and close to Funston Place, which is named after Gen. Frederick N. Funston, whom Pershing replaced as commander of the Southern ... more

Photo: Google

16. Pershing Avenue, near the San Antonio Country Club, is named... Photo-5922304.80500 - San Antonio Express-News

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17. Pershing Elementary School in the San Antonio Independent School District and the park next door are named after him ... but they're on Sandmeyer, not Pershing Avenue.